Samsung Galaxy Note7 May Not Have Caused St. Pete Fire, Officials Say

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The cause of a Sept. 5 fire that ripped through a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee in St. Petersburg remains unknown. The city’s fire rescue department announced the outcome of its investigation into the cause of the blaze on Monday, saying it cannot isolate a Samsung Galaxy Note7 that was reportedly left in the vehicle as the ignition source.

The fire in question broke out in the 3200 block of 58th Street North. When crews arrived on the scene, they found the Jeep engulfed in flames.

“It was reported that a Samsung Galaxy Note7 was in the vehicle at the time of the fire and there were allegations that it may have been the cause,” St. Petersburg Fire Rescue wrote in a Monday, Sept. 19 email to media. “After a thorough investigation, fire investigators did not find a cause for the fire.”

See also: Samsung Galaxy Note7 Recall Officially Issued

At this time, the blaze is being listed as due to an “undetermined” cause. The agency said that “due to the destructive nature of the fire, and multiple possibilities that could not be eliminated as to the ignition source, this classification was determined most appropriate.”

Samsung issued a formal recall for 1 million Galaxy Note7 phones last week. Some of the phones have reportedly caught fire due to an overheated battery.

"The lithium-ion battery in the Galaxy Note7 smartphones can overheat and catch fire, posing a serious burn hazard to consumers," the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s official recall notice said. Samsung and the CPSC had warned people to stop using the phones, but hadn't issued a government-mandated recall prior to last week.

The recall notice advises people who own the phones to stop using them and to power them down immediately. Phones should be returned to the phone company, stores of purchase or Samsung directly.

The CPSC said Samsung has received 92 reports of batteries overheating in the United States, which includes 26 reports of burns and 55 reports of property damage.

Major phone providers such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have stopped selling the phones and have announced plans for replacements.

Patch editor Marc Torrence contributed to this story.

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